Welcome to Storybrooke, a small town in Maine that you won’t find on any map. This town is full of magic, populated by fairytale characters once cursed by the Evil Queen Regina to live in our world—deprived of their memories and happy endings. Until Emma Swan came to town and changed everything. With the help of her son, Henry, Emma embraced her true identity as the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming—the Savior destined to break the Curse. But even after returning everyone’s memories, Emma’s mission was far from over. With the Curse broken, Mr. Gold (aka Rumplestiltskin) was free to bring magic to Storybrooke. And magic ALWAYS comes with a price…

When Regina split herself in an attempt to eliminate her evil half, she unwittingly released the Evil Queen. Now the Evil Queen is back and ready to leave a trail of destruction in her wake. Meanwhile, Regina is quickly learning that destroying her dark side won’t be that easy, especially when dealing with the consequences of having unleashed the Queen on Storybrooke. Emma learns a life-altering secret that could have serious consequences for her family and loved ones. While the heroes grapple with what Emma is confronting, Henry welcomes the new arrivals from the Land of Untold Stories by pledging to help them complete their tales. But when Snow White, Prince Charming, Regina, Captain Hook and Zelena become entwined in these untold tales, they find themselves haunted by their own unfinished pasts. Meanwhile, after handing Storybrooke over to Mr. Hyde, Mr. Gold continues his quest to wake Belle from her self-induced sleeping curse, in hopes of reuniting with both her and their unborn child.

FILMING - Nov 14 Lana, Bex, Sean, and Ginny filmed at Regina's House
1st Scene: Lana and Bex
2nd Scene: Lana and Sean
3rd: Lana, Sean, and Ginny
Last Scene: Lana & Sean - This is based on who I’ve seen going to set (since all the scenes were mostly interiors)

Anything that can be teased on what Rumple and Belle will have to do in order to save Gideon on Once Upon a Time? — AshMarie
Remember when Rumple said that time works wonky in the Dark Realm? The question then becomes: Can Rumple and Belle actually prevent Gideon’s future if they find his younger self? “That is the question of the second half of the season,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “That is exactly what we are going to explore.” EW - 1/6/17

Is it me or is Once Upon a Time visiting far too many realms this year? — Sarah
Yes, the show will be jumping around between the wish realm, Storybrooke, Agrabah, and the dark realm in the back half of the season, but the frequent flyer miles that OUAT is going to rack up aren’t what you’re expecting. “The second half of the season isn’t like ‘We’re all in the wish realm, we’re all in Agrabah, we’re all in this dark realm,‘” EP Adam Horowitz says. “It’s a bunch of different things as the story crescendos. We’re trying to change things up a little bit where it’s not just ‘We’re going to be in one place for half a season and just explore that.’ There’s a unifying theme at play in the second half, but it’s not about location, it’s about this story and the conflict between characters.” EW - 12/23/16

Question: How long will the Snow and Charming curse last on Once Upon a Time? —Shelly
Ausiello: The sleeping curse that afflicts the marrieds one at a time “is not something that stretches out for the rest of the season,” says co-creator Eddy Kitsis. But until it is lifted, “We’re going to see that toll that it takes on Charming, who toward the end of the [fall] run looked sleep-deprived, going dark and off the rails. Without his ‘calming center’ around, and without much sleep, he can get into some real trouble!” TVLine - 12/20/16

On Once Upon a Time, how many episodes will the Snowing curse last? — SnowingFan
Unfortunately, it’s going to be a while. The pressure of the curse paired with Charming being ready to kill the Evil Queen and the lingering question of what really happened to his father means David is not doing OK. “What we’re seeing through David is somebody who is at his wits end,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “This curse with his wife, I think that what we’re seeing is that he’s staying up too late. Without Snow, you’re seeing him starting to give into darker impulses. We’re going to see him have to confront his own demons.” EW - 12/16/16

Why doesOnce Upon a Time Once Upon a Time‘s Gideon wants to kill Emma? Is it because she’s the Savior, or does he have his own reasons? —Rebecca
“‘Why does he need to kill her?’ is the real question,” says co-creator Eddy Kitsis — but we will have to wait (many weeks) for the answer. Until then, Adam Horowitz previews, “We pick up with that [pawn shop] scene, and Gold and Belle will articulate some of the questions that our viewers have” — including: “What happened to Gideon? Why is he seemingly after Emma? And in her vision, what is motivating him?” — “and most of that stuff gets answered pretty quickly.” (For more on Once, I teased Episode 12 in this week’s Ask Ausiello Live.) TVLine - 12/13/16the 6x12 tease was that the mystery of who killed David's father will wrap up around Easter

Question: Will we see Once Upon a Time‘s Black Fairy again? Will we also get an explanation as to why she steals babies and what happens to them afterwards? —Rebecca
Ausiello: Coming out of that fall finale, this comes as little surprise: “We are going to see a lot more of the Black Fairy (played by Jaime Murray),” series cocreator Adam Horowitz assures, “exploring her both in the past and present and learning more about Rumple’s relationship to his mother and the strange land from which she hails.”Question: I know I’m not the only one who caught The Dragon mentioning a daughter in Once Upon a Time Episode 8. Have the showrunners said anything lately about when Lily and Maleficent will be back? Or whether Emma will keep her promise to help Lily find her father? —Sabrina
Ausiello: In a word, “No,” that Dragon (played by Tzi Ma) has nothing to do with the mystery of Lily’s father, the series cocreators confirmed for Matt Mitovich. “We had high hopes” to revisit that story in Season 6, Eddy Kitsis shared, “but we just won’t get to it.” TVLine - 12/7/16

I’m bummed Once Upon a Timeabout the Once Upon a Time winter finale (airing this Sunday), because it looks like Emma and Hook won’t be together in the fairytale world. Got any good CaptainSwan scoop? —Alison
“Whether Emma and Hook are together in the winter finale isn’t the question to be asking,” responds co-creator Adam Horowitz. “The real question to ask is: Will the two of them be embarking on an epic adventure filled with romance, danger and passion in the second half of the season? And the answer is… yes.” TVLine - 12/1/16

Pretty pretty please, something about Once Upon a Time? Particularly about Rumbelle? —Valeria
As relayed by yours truly in this week’s Facebook Live edition of “Ask Ausiello,” Onceco-creator Adam Horowitz had this to say about the piece I did juxtaposing Disney’s Beauty and the Beast trailer with the sad, sad state of their Storybrooke iterations: “The audience doesn’t know where we’re headed with Belle and Rumple, but no matter how dark things get, the show doesn’t go bleak. It’s still about hope, and it’s always darkest before the dawn.” If you are now thinking, as I am, “Gee, ‘dawn’ then must be right around the corner,” I am hearing the next episode, airing Nov. 27, is in fact quite a game changer for Rumple and/or Belle. TVLine - 11/15/16

Question: Any hints about who’s in the hood on Once Upon a Time, killing Emma? —Courtney
Ausiello: Well, if you re-watch that fleeting vision very, very carefully, and take note of the hooded character’s height and build… you will glean nothing, actually. “It was a stand-in used for that scene,” and not the actual actor that will eventually be revealed as wearing the hood, Colin O’Donoghue confirms. As for whether he or any other cast members know the identity of Emma’s killer, if only becayse the Once bosses have made it pretty clear they had someone locked in from go, “We might have an idea…,” O’Donoghue teased, “but we’re not gonna tell you!” TVLine ~ 11/4/16

Is Charming really going down a dark path of vengeance on Once Upon a Time? — Brett
There’s potential, but OUAT won’t pick up that story immediately. “We know he’s tempted,” EP Edward Kitsis tells me. “It’s not something that’s going to come to the forefront right away. It’s something he is clearly thinking about. I would be really disappointed if we didn’t pick it up and at least find out the answer by the end of the season.” EP Adam Horowitz concurs: “That story is not over. David has made a decision by not burning [the evidence] to pursue it. How he pursues it and when he pursues it, we’ll see as the season progresses. But he’s certainly wrestling with something, and how it impacts inversely in his relationships with Snow and his family is part of the story, as well as the ultimate answer to the mystery.” EW ~ 10/28/16

Is anything coming up for Once Upon a Time‘s Snow and Charming? —Camilla
And how! With the Evil Queen poised to make a move on the person she hates most, “the shared heart between Snow and Charming comes into play,” series co-creator Adam Horowitz teases, “as they are bonded in this new battle.”Might we see Belle’s mother again on Once Upon a Time? —Betsy
I presented your Q to the show bosses, and there are “no immediate plans” to revisit that character. TVLine ~ 10/27/16

Question: Do you have any Once Upon a Time spoilers that concern “Snowing”? —Lyss
Ausiello: In addition to the well-reported drama to be drummed up by the Evil Queen, Snow and David will at least attempt to get a better bead on their own “happily ever after,” now that Neverland, memory wipes and Hell are behind them. In Season 6, “They’re back in Storybrooke, trying to make a life for themselves there,” says co-creator Adam Horowitz, “so we’re trying to dig more into what daily life is, what normal is.” And as that regards the princess and prince, “In an early episode, you’re going to see Snow White ask the question, ‘What is normal? And how do we get back to it?’ That’s something that she and Charming strive toward.” TVLine ~ 9/26/2016

What other news characters are we going to meet on Once Upon a Time besides the Count, Aladdin, Jasmine and Captain Nemo? — Jose
When Cinderella returns in season 6, we’re going to meet her evil stepmom and stepsisters. Much like the first time she appeared on the show, Cinderella’s story will be a reflection of what’s going on with Emma. “That was Emma’s first happy ending she actually returned,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “That was the very first time that Emma, at the end of it, decided to stay in Storybrooke. She saw herself through Cinderella. Now we’re in a situation where what if someone could undo all the happiness you’ve done, would your life matter? [She’s] faced with somebody out there that’s trying to undo the ones [she has] done.” EW ~ 9/23/2016

What’s next for Once Upon a Time‘s Hook and Emma? —Allison
In the Season 6 premiere, “We pick up pretty directly from where we left them at the end of last season, where for the first time Emma professed her love without the duress of a life-or-death situation,” co-creator Adam Horowitz reminds. “Of course, life-or-death situations come pretty quickly on our show, so that will change.” As EP Eddy Kitsis in turn notes, “No relationship is a fairytale. So if people are expecting no drama, we hope that they will enjoy what we are showing.” TVLINE ~ 9/14/2016

Anything on the Regina-Emma-Snow relationship on Once Upon a Time? — Mara
It certainly won’t be easy with the Evil Queen waging war on Storybrooke. “You get to see that this really is a family that has come together,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “Henry’s dream in the beginning was to bring everyone together, and in a lot of ways he has, but this year they’re going to be tested from their past. If there’s one thing the Evil Queen hates it’s Snow White — Snow White and other people’s happiness.” EW ~ 9/16/16

Anything Once Upon a Time related? If you can give me CaptainSwan info, I’ll be grateful. — Shannon
The show will be diving more into Hook’s past as his relationship with Emma moves forward. “Last year we saw Emma saying I love you to him when they weren’t in any sort of danger,” EP Adam Horowitz says. “Hook is excited to progress that relationship. At the same time, he is on his path of redemption, and we are going to see Hook doing his best to be heroic this year.” TVLine ~ 8/31/2016

Do you have any scoop about Snow White and Prince Charming from Once Upon a Time? — SnowingFan
Would it make you happy if I told you that the OUAT bosses say they want to see a lot of Snow and Charming this year? “Charming has always had questions about his family and his father that he thought were answered,” EP Adam Horowitz says. “Charming’s past becomes something very important to his future. We’re going to see him and Snow embarking on some adventure related to that past, and what that’s going to create for them moving forward, which is some unexpected obstacles to that happy ending they’re all trying to live.” EW ~ 9/02/2016

Question: Will Once Upon a Time be giving Rumbelle fans any sweet, pregnancy moments — like discussing names, etc.? —Betsy
Ausiello: Maybe, eventually. But “the ride there is pretty bumpy,” warns series co-creator Eddy Kitsis. Adam Horowitz meanwhile promises moments of “reminiscing” for the oft-estranged marrieds, “and discussing what it’s going to mean when their child is born.”

Question: Will Once Upon a Time give us an explanation for Mr. Gold’s new haircut? —Rebecca
Ausiello: Though Robert Carlyle was able to lose the mustache he donned when filming this summer’s Trainspotting sequel, his indeed brought Begbie’s cropped ‘do back to Storybrooke. The loss of Rumple’s salt-and-pepper mane “will absolutely be addressed,” says Horowitz. “And the answer isn’t that he went to do Trainspotting 2.” TVLine ~ 8/31/2016

Do you have anything on Once Upon a Time? — ButtercupOUAT
Ask and you shall receive! “We’re going to see Henry back in operation with Emma,” EP Edward Kitsis says. And yes, that does mean there’s a new operation name! “It will be revealed in the premiere,” EP Adam Horowitz says. EW ~ 8/19/16

Is there anything Adam Horowitz can tell us about Rumbelle during season 6 of Once Upon a Time? — rumbelletrueluv
What if I let Emilie de Ravin tell you about Belle getting out of the box? “The way she is extracted, how it happens and the characters that are involved is really cool, and it reveals a lot about her relationship and her past/future,” de Ravin says, noting that the show will explore more of Belle’s independence this season. “It’s been a long time coming. Now that she’s pregnant, and now that she knows that it’s not really just about her anymore, she has to take responsibility for this other little person. That’s making her head spin a little bit with regard to, ‘Okay, I can spend my life trying to fix this person, whether it’s for me or for him, but if it’s affecting someone else now, it’s a game changer.’ It puts a little bit of spanner in the works for their marriage for a bit. There’s some alone time to be had.” EW ~ 7/29/16

I’d like some Once Upon a Time spoilers please. — Jane
The introduction of the Land of Untold Stories basically opens up storytelling avenues to, well, “everyone,” according to Edward Kitsis. “What’s funny is in the pilot if you watch when Emma sees the wolf that stops her from leaving town, the book flips open and we see all these worlds,” Kitsis says. “It’s time to tell new stories, broaden the show and move forward.” As for why these stories have not yet been told, Kitsis points to something Hyde said in the finale: “As he said, I need a place where these stories can play out, which would make me think for some reason they weren’t being played out, they were pushed on pause.” EW ~ 7/8/16

Thanks for the Evil Queen scoop! Anything more you can share on Once Upon a Time? — Virginia
The Land of Untold Stories will provide a new avenue into the characters we’ve come to know and love over the last five seasons. “The intent is that these new characters and new stories are really a reflection on what’s going on inside of our characters,” says EP Adam Horowitz. “With Lana and the Evil Queen, that’s the starkest example, which we’ve already teased. We’re literally going inside her and pulling her apart. There are elements of that that we’re planning to do for each and everyone of the characters.” EW ~ 7/1/16

Do you have any scoop on what’s going to happen to Once Upon a Time‘s Belle and Rumple? Will they be going on an adventure for the first time together? —Rebecca
They will be going on an adventure together… or as “together” as they can be with Belle still stashed inside a decorative container. “Belle is with Rumple — she’s in Pandora’s Box, in the sleeping curse,” says Once co-creator Eddy Kitsis. And as the Season 6 premiere will make clear, Rumple did get said box back, as part of his deal with Mr. Hyde. As for where the “information” Hyde delivered in return will lead the couple, “That will be the mystery that we show you,” Kitsis says. Adds co-creator Adam Horowitz: “What we really focus on at the start is: ‘How the heck does he get her out of the box and wake her?'” TVLine ~ 6/30/16

Will any of the untold stories on Once Upon a Time hold a connection to any of the characters? — lennyukpirate1
That’s TBD, but the arrival of characters from the Land of Untold stories will certainly affect those in Storybrooke. “The condition of life in Storybrooke is very important,” EP Adam Horowitz says. “Hyde’s arrival impacts that. We’re planning to explore a lot of what that’s going to mean for the day-to-day life in Storybrooke.” Adds EP Edward Kitsis: “One of the things that we really want to get back to this year is that season 1 and 2 vibe of small town stories, being in Storybrooke and getting back to Mary Margaret as the teacher, Emma as the sheriff, Grumpy as the janitor.” EW - 6/24/16

What will happen to Emma and Hook in season 6 of Once Upon a Time? — Niamh
If you recall, when Emma and Hook reunited in the finale, there was a wedding dress in the background. Ahead of the Dead of Summerpanel at ATX, I asked the guys point-blank if this means wedding bells will ring in season 6. They stayed very coy on the subject. “I would say you’ll have to watch season 6, you never know what’s going to happen,” EP Edward Kitsis replied. “You never know what’s going to happen with those two.” Fear not, they answered a few other season 6 questions, so check Spoiler Room next week for more! EW - 6/17/16

Any news on Once Upon a Time season 6? — Carole
Aside from the fact that we’ll be getting a double dose of Regina next season, Lana Parrilla has a number of questions about season 6: “Will Baby Robin be magical?” she tells me. “Will Zelena and Regina continue to have a healthy relationship now that they’ve reconciled? Or will Regina end up hating Zelena for being the mother to Robin’s baby? I’m curious to see what’s going to end up happening in that regard. Will she end up growing resentful that she can’t have children, but yet her sister has her boyfriend’s baby? I feel like that’s a story to be told. Are they going to stand side-by-side in a sisterhood or is Regina going to grow resentful overtime?” EW - 6/10/16

Anything Once Upon a Time? — TranquillitySunday’s episode will provide a sense of the closure, with the two-hour finale kicking off a new story for season 6. “Like every year, the two-hour finale is kind of a different piece than the rest of the season, so in a lot of ways, this weekend is the finale for the Hades arc,” executive producer Edward Kitsis says. “I can say that it will break a few hearts.” As for the actual finale, part of it will take place outside Storybrooke. “As much as they’d like peace and quiet in Storybrooke, fallout from this weekend’s episode causes a character to go rogue in New York City,” Kitsis says. “Once again, the heroes are called upon to save the day.” | EW - 5/6/2016

Once Upon a Time’s Belle said she tainted her soul because she saved Rumple. Does she regret it? Does protecting oneself or family really taint their souls? —Rebecca
I hand-delivered, as I do, your salient Q to the series co-creators, and Eddy Kitsis answered, “Belle is very distraught because she did something that she never ever really wanted to do,” accidentally damning ex-fiance Gaston to the River of Lost Souls. “In that moment, when it was life or death, she chose Rumple, which obviously says something — but whether she wants to admit it or not is another situation. She doesn’t like being put in that situation and she’s upset that she couldn’t figure a way out, because she reacted in a moment and now has to deal with that for the rest of her life.” As for whether having “tainted” her own soul a smidgen might help foster an eventual reconciliation with her Dark One husband, since Belle now stands on less-high ground, Kitsis says, “We are going to have to wait and see what happens to her.” ~ TVLine 04/26/16

Everyone who sips from this well enjoys the taste too much. ~ The Dark One
We've been on the sidelines too long, sister, missed too many adventures. Now it's embarrassing. ~Leroy

"Come on kid, it's Arizona. It's not hell." ~ Cleo Fox

"I still have a fist. Gold still has a nose." ~Regina
"Well, we're certainly not in Storybrooke anymore." ~Zelena
"Do you happen to have any duct tape?" ~ Zelena
"The Evil Queen is inside me always trying to get out." ~Regina

That's why you never, ever hear these words about a Savior. "They lived happily ever after." ~Jafar
I want to start a new story. One where the Evil Queen doesn't get a part. ~Regina

"She got what she deserved" - Charming
"Put it away. This family is done fighting" - Snow
"Do you trust me?" "Always princess" - Jasmine/Aladdin
"What have we done to each other" - Belle
"I vowed to destroy their happiness if it is the last thing I do." - Regina
"We all make mistakes. It doesn't change who we are." - Hook
"You are also my mom." - Henry
"Every Savior needs a villain." - Rumple

Tftnt.
I am excited for the Rumbelle story with Gideon, but I hope that they will not end it with Gideon being turned back into a baby or something because it felt wrong to me with August already when they turned him from an adult into the little boy Pinocchio. It is sad for the parents that they will not be have memories of raising their son, but we could have Giles stay and the writers write much better for adults than for children.

Tftnt.
I am excited for the Rumbelle story with Gideon, but I hope that they will not end it with Gideon being turned back into a baby or something because it felt wrong to me with August already when they turned him from an adult into the little boy Pinocchio. It is sad for the parents that they will not be have memories of raising their son, but we could have Giles stay and the writers write much better for adults than for children.

I don't agree on this one. I want him to turn back into a baby in the end. My worst case scenario is that they don't and then they kill off Gideon.

I do understand it's difficult for them to write so many babies and it limits the mothers to what they can do though. But I really want little baby Gideon.

It's always better when Gold isn't in Storybrooke making deals with villains and screwing with other people's lives. So he and Belle can take all the time they need. Assuming he doesn't make a deal with the black fairy.

I don't agree on this one. I want him to turn back into a baby in the end. My worst case scenario is that they don't and then they kill off Gideon.

I understand this and the fear that they will kill him in the end than make Giles stay, but I cannot help it that I find this idea so creepy that they take a fully adult person with adult thoughts and actions and memories and erase this to deage them to make them a baby again.... But the aging up was creepy to me too and the sped up pregnancy of Zelena.

I understand this and the fear that they will kill him in the end than make Giles stay, but I cannot help it that I find this idea so creepy that they take a fully adult person with adult thoughts and actions and memories and erase this to deage them to make them a baby again.... But the aging up was creepy to me too and the sped up pregnancy of Zelena

The thing is though if Gideon actually exists as a baby in another realm. He technically was just born so .....

Quote:

It's always better when Gold isn't in Storybrooke making deals with villains and screwing with other people's lives. So he and Belle can take all the time they need. Assuming he doesn't make a deal with the black fairy.

Believe me, I'd rather they stay out of town for a few episodes at least and they wouldn't get interrupted every five minutes, LOL.

I'm surprised Gold would even consider changing the course of his son's life by going to the dark realm. He wanted this child to love him. Now Hoodeon is exactly like his father. Dark, powerful, and trying to destroy Emma's life by killing her, and take her from her family. What dark one could be more proud?